Medical Marijuana campaign kicks off in Utah

Hundreds of supporters from different age group participated actively at the event, which included music, food trucks and bounce houses, picking up T-shirts and lawn signs to distribute in advance of the November election.

Faith Corbin — a 14-year-old with brain tumor – also came with her mother and younger siblings to show her support for Proposition 2. Though Corbin isn’t old enough to cast a ballot, is anxiously awaiting the vote.

Like Corbin, Carolyn Bayly of Lehi, who is in a similar situation, also came forward to extend her support.

“I don’t know if medical marijuana would be effective for me,” said Bayly, who takes seven medications for her multiple sclerosis, and many of the drugs have negative side effects. “But I’d like my doctor to have the option to prescribe it,” she added.

The Proposition 2, if approved by Utah voters, would allow the patients to get a medical marijuana card with a doctor's recommendation to obtain, possess, or cultivate cannabis for medicinal use despite marijuana's lack of the normal Food and Drug Administration testing for safety and efficacy.

As per a Dan Jones and Associates poll, conducted for UtahPolicy.com, found 64 percent of likely voters to be “somewhat” or “strongly” in support of the measure.

However, there are several groups who are opposing the move vehemently saying the initiative as written lacks procedural safeguards.

Two of the strong oppositions of Proposition 2, are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Drug Safe Utah Coalition — made up of medical experts, clergy, law enforcement, educators and business leaders.

Most of the states in U.S that have medical marijuana laws have private dispensaries, rather than pharmacies, that distribute cannabis products containing the psychoactive ingredient THC.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as per the law, prohibits the doctors from prescribing marijuana. It had in June approved the first medication that’s derived from cannabis.

Currently, 31 states have legalized the plant for its medicinal use in U.S.